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Debunking the Sinclair Agenda Myth

Unfortunately, there is a false narrative in Washington (DC) that ATSC 3.0 will only benefit one particular company. In fact, this narrative goes even further, suggesting everything the Federal Communications Commission has done in the media space over the last 17 months has been to benefit one company, in this case, Sinclair Broadcast Group. This misguided fantasy is perplexing to other broadcast stations across the country that have seen real benefits to our actions. That is why I believe it is time to call these assertions for what they truly are: a rhetorical tool designed to divert attention from opponents’ lack of substantive objections to the underlying policies, combined with what seemingly appears to be an extreme personal dislike for the company itself.

The American people deserve to know that decisions in these matters were based on the underlying law and corresponding record — as required. The Commission’s actions under Chairman Pai’s leadership have been designed to reduce the labyrinth of outdated and costly media rules that no longer make sense today. This is vital in the current marketplace where television broadcasters are not competing solely amongst each other, but, also, with cable networks and major over-the-top platforms like Netflix and Amazon. The following is an effort to examine each major media item approved by this Commission, which should help eliminate any notion of favoritism towards Sinclair.